slashing public education budgets, check. that's the policy record of chris christie. but policy is not perception. and when it comes to winning elections, who you are as a candidate matters, but not as much as who voters believe you to be. and when we consider the perception of chris christie, we think about this guy, the one shaking hands with president obama out of gratitude for coming to the rescue of his storm-ravaged state. the one hugging president obama and letting president obama touch him, actually touching the same president who is positively radioactive among his fellow republicans, looking much like a reasonable republican, if ever there was one. then there's this guy, virginia republican candidate for governor, ken cuccinelli, who despite numbers showing an increasingly close race between him and democratic candidate terry mcauliffe, still can't manage to shake off his second place spot in the polls. this in a purple state, that despite going for president obama in the last two presidential elections, hasn't previously picked a democrat for president sinc